Abstract

Objectives:
To review the diagnostic accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) in the preoperative detection of rectosigmoid endometriosis in patients with clinical suspicion of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE), comparing enhanced (E-TVS) and non-enhanced approaches.

Methods:
An extensive search was performed in MEDLINE (PubMed) and EMBASE for studies published between January 1989 and December 2014. The eligibility criterion was use of TVS for preoperative detection of rectosigmoid endometriosis in women with clinical suspicion of DIE, using surgical data as the reference standard. Study quality was assessed using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool.